IEŚ Policy Papers 5/2025
Redakcja: Spasimir Domaradzki
ISBN: 978-83-67678-92-6
Liczba stron: 87
Format: 140x230
Wydanie: Lublin 2025
Opis:
A year after the publication of our first report on the EU’s geopolitical turn towards the Western Balkans, which included contributions from authors from the region, there remains a need for close observation of the political, economic and social processes in the non-EU Balkan states. Despite the EU’s lasting commitment to the region, these countries carry diverse political and social experiences that directly impact their EU membership prospects.
The ongoing war in Ukraine and the current confrontation between Russia and the West continue to impact the pace of events in the region. Simultaneously, regardless of national authorities’ public declarations that EU membership is a priority, the candidates and potential candidate differ not only in their determination for membership but, in some cases, raise the legitimate question of whether joining the EU remains a priority. Hence, there is a need to further monitor the extent to which this overarching environment impacts the political, economic and social priorities at national levels in the non-EU Balkan states.
Following a slightly adjusted methodology from the previous year, experts from the six Western Balkan countries (WB6) contributed their assessments of the political developments in their countries for the period between September 2024 and September 2025, providing a rich picture of overlapping, colliding or competing political dynamics within the region. Their overviews of the political processes reveal very different trends related to enlargement dynamics. Despite internal challenges, Albania and Montenegro continue along the path of needed reforms and reproachment with the EU. Conversely, the process has stalled in Serbia, where President Vućić largely abandoned the enlargement agenda. In North Macedonia, enlargement continues to be held hostage to the internal identity narrative, which serves as a justification for the lack of any advancement in negotiations with the EU. After a prolonged political limbo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, chances for the implementation of the Growth Plan have finally improved. In Kosovo, while the internal political crisis dominated most of the analysed period, the EU decided to weaken its punitive measures.
Pełny tekst publikacji: PDF
